


Sparky

by hiraethnefarious



Category: Hunger Games Series - All Media Types, Hunger Games Trilogy - Suzanne Collins, The Hunger Games (Movies)
Genre: 74th Hunger Games, Eventual Romance, F/M, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-04
Updated: 2020-12-03
Packaged: 2021-03-10 04:39:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Underage
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,605
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27868510
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hiraethnefarious/pseuds/hiraethnefarious
Summary: Cato and Katniss survive the 74th Hunger Games. But now, their future is full of uncertainty and danger. The Hunger Games, as Haymitch says, are mere child's play. Now, the real games begin. Cato and Katniss will forever be intertwined, as much as they may not like it.
Relationships: Annie Cresta/Finnick Odair, Cato/Katniss Everdeen, Katniss Everdeen & Primrose Everdeen
Comments: 1
Kudos: 13





	Sparky

When Cato was trapped on the roof of the Cornucopia, with warm blood streaming down his face and filling his mouth, and the girl on fire aiming an arrow at his face; he did not expect to survive the 74th Hunger Games. Both their District partners were long dead. Clove was killed by Thresh a few days ago. Katniss's partner, Peeta, was killed by Clove personally at the beginning of the Games. Cato knew the "star-crossed lovers" bullshit was just that; bullshit. He knew that Katniss wasn't in love with the kid, and sure she felt bad he died, but, she'd get over it in a month or two. And now, here they are, on the Cornucopia. Katniss, who had just found Foxface, had been pushed out of the woods by the mutts. Cato was already by the Cornucopia after fighting Thresh, and he barely won. He had been cut up so badly by Thresh and then had to fight a mutt off before pulling himself to the top of the metal structure, where the girl on fire was waiting for him, with a violent look in her eyes. Her arrow was pointed at his face, but he had long lost his will to win the games. At one time, he was enamoured by the "glory" but after seeing the death of his friend Clove, and realizing how disgusting the games are, he has no fight left in him. 

"Too bad the rule was only for two district partners, hey sparky?" he says, letting out a soft snicker. Katniss stares at him like he's insane.  
  
"What the hell…?" she mutters but he shakes his head, more blood streaming down his face. 

"You heard me. You remember that rule, right? It was because Clove was still alive, and Glimmer and Marvel. I'm sure the fucking Capitol ate it up! I bet they even had shirts made with our faces plastered over them!" he shouts at her. She pulls the arrow back even further and glares at him.

"Stop it!" she screams at him. He's trembling, whether it's from anger or loss of blood, she doesn't know. The mutts beneath them are growling and jumping at the building, their sharp claw digging at the metal. So far, they haven't been able to get up, but then she hears a ferocious growl and one of the Mutts, the biggest one, Thresh by the looks of it, runs back then throws himself into the air and lands on the roof. It writhes and jumps back on to its legs and growls at them. It takes him a moment to decide who to attack, but then it hurls itself at the closest human; Katniss. She tries to shoot it with an arrow but, it just bounces off the Mutt like it was a mere stick. The Mutt jumps on her and knocks her to the ground, its weight crushing her.

Cato watches and is debating leaving her to get mauled to death by that Mutt. However, that small sliver of humanity that his mentors have tried to extinguish for so many years finally comes back. His feet move before his mind tells them to. He uses the last of his strength and throws his full weight against the Mutt, and the force makes it fly off Katniss. She's choking and rolls over, reaching for her bow with a quivering hand. Cato is wrestling with the Mutt, Katniss can hear the angry snarls coming from both he and the Mutt. She takes her bow and one of the two arrows she has left in her quiver. She loads it and aims at the Mutt's head.

"Move!" she yells. Cato looks at her and nods, throwing himself off the Mutt and lands with a hard thud on the metal.

Katniss releases the arrow, and it goes flying through the air and lands in the Mutt's neck. This time, it drops dead. Cato and Katniss breathe out slowly, and she goes over to help and extends her hand to help him up. He takes it but nearly pulls her over in the process. They both stand quickly, Cato looking worse and worse with blood-loss. 

"Thanks for that," he mutters.

"I should be the one thanking you." She responds. They don't speak for a few moments; both waiting for the other to try to kill them, but eventually, Cato breaks the silence.

"I'm not going to be one of them.”

"What?" Katniss asks, surprised at his remark.

"You heard me. I'm not going to play anymore," Cato says. By now, Katniss is sure he's delusional from blood loss. She's staring at him with wide eyes. "I'm serious. Ever since I was a kid, they told me I'd have to win and bring pride to my District, just that." He mutters, his eyes starting to get hazy, and he sways more.   
  
Katniss is examining the boy, and she notices that his coat has been ripped off by a Mutt, which reveals his bare arms. His arms have several faint scars that look like they've been made by knives, many years ago. Perhaps, in District Two, the kids suffer in different ways; they may not go hungry, but perhaps they face cruel punishments if they are not "strong enough".   
  
"What are you going to do?" Katniss asks him, still studying the scars on his arms.  
  
"I won't fight you. You can kill me if you want to get out of here." He answers.

Yep, he's lost it, she thinks. Cato smirks at her, but then he begins to sway again slightly on his feet. Katniss inadvertently reaches out and clutches his arm to steady him. But then his head snaps up, and he slaps her hand away. Cato snarls, his lips curled up and, the blood is making his face shine red. He looks completely insane and, he looks at the sword lying beside her.   
  
Katniss has never been one for words. What use are they, truly? And she has nothing to say to this deranged tribute. But, she wishes she could yell everything at the Capitol. She hates that damn city, that damn President, for making the Districts suffer. Katniss hates what they have done to children; like herself and Cato. She looks back at Cato, who has stopped moving. He's gripping his head with his hands and is doubled over, while a scream rips from his throat. He looks like he's in pain and a lot of it.   
  
"You've lost a lot of blood," she mutters. Cato has dropped to his knees but has stopped screaming. Katniss hesitantly walks towards him, her fingers just grazing his shoulder. When he doesn't respond, she kneels and, with her other hand; takes hold of his wrist. He's is staring straight ahead, but his blue eyes are out of focus. He slumps down, his head landing on her shoulder. His eyes are closed and his breathing is ragged.

"Oh my God," she says, shaking his shoulder in feeble attempts to wake the giant. She swallows and looks up at the sky. Where her next words come from, she doesn't know. She never felt anything towards the tall blond boy beside her, but she doesn't want to be one of their killers either. She won't kill a helpless, sick boy because that's what they expect her to do. She knows that Prim is watching, but she also knows that Prim would want her to slaughter someone and become a mindless killer like many of the other victors. Katniss feels so angry.   
  
She won't kill this boy, and then become some mindless Victor who watches their tributes die every single year. The Capitol won't have their Victor. She glares at the sky and feels her anger rising even more. Cato has fallen off her and is in a pool of blood on the Cornucopia. She looks back at him, feeling pity for him. 

"He could've come out of here. If you don't save both of us, you won't have any victor at all! If he dies, then you won't have a Victor," she sneers. She waits a few moments, but when nothing happens, she begins sneering. However, something else catches her eye. Berries, dark berries. Nightlock berries, like the one she found when Foxface died. They're poisonous and will kill you in a second. The berries had been shoved in Cato's pocket, he must have gathered them earlier, maybe in his deranged state, or perhaps he thought they could be useful. She takes some of the berries and raises them to her lips. She looks around, waiting for something to happen. But nothing does.

"If you think I'm kidding, then you are wrong." She snarls. Katniss opens her mouth, popping some of the berries in; they immediately taste bitter. She's about to swallow when she hears the loud voice of Claudius Templesmith erupt from the speakers.

"Stop, stop! Ladies and gentlemen, please let me introduce the victors of the 74th annual Hunger Games, Katniss Everdeen and Cato Hansen."  
  
Katniss spews the berries out of her mouth, before looking down at Cato. She shakes her head and bites her lip, unsure whether or not he will survive. His breathing is short and ragged. Katniss reaches over, resting her hand on his bloody shoulder. She feels the strong gust of wind from a Hovercraft and a ladder lowers for them. She reaches forward, touching it hesitantly, but then her body freezes instantly. She can only see Cato once more before she's pulled away from him; unsure if he will live, and unsure of what the future will look like from now on.   



End file.
